A jury in North Dakota on Friday convicted a state lawmaker of a misdemeanor in connection with a state-leased building he has ownership ties to. A legislative leader said he disagrees with the verdict and plans to review the statute and rules involved.

Republican Rep. Jason Dockter, of Bismarck, was charged in December 2023 with speculating or wagering on official action. He pleaded not guilty. The charge has a maximum penalty of 360 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine. Dockter declined to comment on the verdict but said he will consider an appeal. His sentencing has yet to be scheduled.

A criminal complaint alleged that, as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives, Dockter voted “on legislative bills appropriating money to pay for property he had acquired a pecuniary interest in,” against the law and legislative rules. The charge arose from complaints to the state Ethics Commission.

NORTH DAKOTA LAWMAKER HIT WITH MISDEMEANOR CHARGE IN SPECULATION CASE

Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor said the case is concerning because “legislators aren’t going to feel comfortable knowing what a conflict of interest is.”

“I’m thinking that we need to visit legislative rules, look at state statutes and have a thoughtful conversation with the Ethics Commission so that we can make absolutely sure that legislators are not looking over their shoulder worrying about does it rise to the level of a conflict of interest or not?” Lefor said.

He called it a “slippery slope” for scenarios of a legislator who is a teacher voting on an education bill or a farmer voting on agricultural issues.

Prosecutor Ladd Erickson declined to comment on the verdict.

Dockter’s charge is part of a nearly two-year-old controversy involving the building, leased by the late Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem for consolidating divisions of his office, that under Stenehjem incurred a cost overrun of over $1 million that hasn’t been fully reconciled.

Stenehjem’s successor, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, disclosed the overrun and that Stenehjem’s state email account was deleted days after his death in January 2022 at the direction of his executive assistant, Liz Brocker, who later resigned. A prosecutor declined to bring charges for the deleted emails.

Dockter is a co-owner of companies that own and worked on the building. He was friends with Stenehjem, but has denied any wrongdoing in the lease arrangement. Dockter was first elected in 2012. He was reelected in 2022 without opposition.

Democratic House Minority Leader Zac Ista called on Dockter to resign after the verdict. Dockter said he has no immediate plans to do so. Lefor said he doesn’t expect the Republican-majority House to take any immediate steps against Dockter.

The Legislature is not in session, and isn’t scheduled to convene until January 2025, after a December organizational session.

The cost overrun and deleted emails shocked state lawmakers, who raised concerns about trust and transparency. Earlier this year, Wrigley’s office recovered thousands of Stenehjem’s emails through a cellphone backup and released them in response to records requests. Stenehjem’s phone data became part of an investigation into former state senator Ray Holmberg, who is accused of traveling to Europe with the intent of paying for sex with a minor. Holmberg’s trial is set for September.

WARREN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Nearly 1,500 athletes compete in 18 events this year for the regional Special Olympics at Macomb County Community College in Warren. 

An event of this size relies on a significant number of volunteers. 

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said he looks forward to this event every year. 

“You’re really giving back to the community by being with these kids again. They’re all special to every one of us,” Hackel said. 

The Roseville High School football team was also part of a large team of organizers. 

“They help us out during the season, they come out and support us so why not come and support them,” said D’Ondre Fordham, a junior at Roseville High School. 

For junior quarterback Jordan Simes, volunteering at an event like the Special Olympics is personal to his family. 

“I am honored. I have a cousin with disabilities, and it is hard for him and my family to cope with everything, so it means a lot,” Simes said. 

Roseville High School head coach Vernard Snowden said helping out at this event every year is very important to the school and his program. 

“I just think for them to be active in the community, as well as our CI department seeing them active, not just for our program but for our community as a whole,” Snowden said. 

Athletes competed in a variety of events today, like sprinting and bocci ball. 

Win, lose, or draw, for the athletes and volunteers, this Special Olympics regional event continues to be a success year after year.

“That being said, what these kids are getting out of it, really makes you feel like you are part of something very special,” Hackel said. 

Some of the winners from the regional event will compete at the end of the month in Mt. Pleasant. 

The Special Olympics Summer Games will take place on May 30-31 and June 1. 

It was always going to be tough for the Milwaukee Brewers to repeat as division champions this season, but the Brew Crew heads home for a chance to take on the struggling St. Louis Cardinals.

The classic rivalry is set up as a contrast of sorts from preseason expectations. While the Brewers were expected to take a step back after losing players like Corbin Burnes, the Cardinals were hopeful a fresh corps of starters and offensive bounce backs could lead to contention.

Instead, the Brewers have a chance to build on their early standing in the division while adding to the Cardinals’ struggles. The Cardinals’ 15-21 record leaves them sitting six games behind the Brewers. Their inability to match other competitive teams has been a notable narrative during their season with a 7-14 record against teams with at least a .500 winning percentage.

After the team’s hot start, the Brewers have played to a fairly middling pace over the last two weeks. Entering play on Wednesday, Milwaukee ranked 14th in runs scored and 17th in ERA over the last 15 days. That’s hardly a bad omen, but it shows the recent struggles to build on their dominant start. Although the squad has scuffled offensively, there is still an abundance of lineup options to work through any issues.

Even though the Brewers have slowed from their torrid pace, the problems in St. Louis are much more magnified. The offense hasn’t come close to resembling the blueprint that the Cardinals would have had upon the start of the season. Over the past 30 games, St. Louis ranks 28th in runs scored while averaging a mere 3.2 runs per game. A recent injury to Willson Contreras will sting the Cardinals even more as he was their only hitter performing at an All-Star level. Players to watch in his absence include Alec Burleson and Nolan Arenado, who have both found some form in recent weeks.

The pitching for St. Louis has been better than last season, but not good enough to carry the team through their offensive slump. The three big additions to their rotation have performed more than well enough to keep the team competitive, but the lineup hasn’t held up its end of the bargain. Sonny Gray (0.89 ERA) has continued his Cy Young form from last season. Lance Lynn (3.28 ERA) and Kyle Gibson (3.68 ERA) have been solid, but their underlying numbers hint towards that production possibly regressing in the future.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Thursday, May 9 @ 6:40 p.m: Tobias Myers (6.23 ERA) vs. Sonny Gray (0.89 ERA)

The Brewers most difficult test of the series will come in Game 1 as they face down Sonny Gray. The runner-up in last year’s Cy Young race, Gray has continued right where he left off. Not only is his 0.89 ERA a stunning statistic, but he’s pitched even better than his exceptional 2023 campaign.

He is striking out batters at a career-high rate. Batters can’t square up his pitches, with just a 29.6% hard-hit rate allowed. His two breaking balls have been untouchable. His curveball and sweeper have allowed batting averages of just .133 and .138, respectively. He’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past year and one of the few highlights of this Cardinals season.

Tobias Myers has stumbled out of the gates in his rookie season, so it will be fascinating to see how he attacks this Cardinals lineup. Myers’ 6.23 ERA doesn’t offer much for encouragement, but there is still plenty of room for growth. He has succeeded at getting batters to chase out of the zone, but he has had problems with his cutter. As he adapts his approach and pitch mix, his development will be an interesting storyline.

Friday, May 10 @ 7:10 p.m: TBD vs. TBD

Saturday, May 11 @ 7:10 p.m: Freddy Peralta (3.49 ERA) vs. Kyle Gibson (3.68 ERA)

Freddy Peralta has been ace-adjacent this year, but he hasn’t lived up to the standards he would set for himself. His first four starts were excellent, but his three most recent outings have left something to be desired. He didn’t make it through six innings in any of those games while allowing a 6.00 ERA.

Peralta is still one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers in baseball, so his dip in production is likely to be a short-term issue. He is in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate and his slider has allowed a .050 batting average- which seems like it’s hardly a real number. He has allowed more damage on his fastball, but Peralta is more than capable of making the adjustments necessary.

Kyle Gibson has some terrible expected stats (5.44 xERA) but has continued to find success with a high groundball rate. He has stranded runners at a high clip this year even as his strikeout rate has dipped to his worst since 2016. Another pitcher for the Cardinals without elite velocity, Gibson has found success with a variety of breaking balls and offspeed pitches. His sweeper has allowed more hits this year, but he has forced a 41.2% whiff rate on the pitch.

His ability to mix-and-match with a variety of pitches has helped his sinker play up without needing to blaze past hitters. Lefties have had a particularly difficult time against Gibson this season with a .212 batting average. Just like Lynn, though, Gibson has been prone to hard contact.

Sunday, May 12 @ 1:10 p.m: Bryse Wilson (2.40 ERA) vs. TBD

Bryse Wilson has been one of the most unexpected breakouts of the season for Milwaukee. His 2.40 ERA has been a boon to the pitching staff, but his path to get to this point has been funky. In 2022, he pitched a career-high 115 ²⁄₃ innings with the Pirates with a 5.52 ERA. He moved to the bullpen when he came to Milwaukee, lowering his ERA to 2.58.

As this season developed, Wilson morphed once again into a starter, but has been excellent this time around. He’s now providing length and limiting damage. Over his last three starts, he has pitched to a 1.65 ERA while pitching six innings in his recent two outings. He allowed just eight hits in that time but needs to reduce the walks allowed to avoid more traffic. He doesn’t have an elite wipeout pitch, but his four primary pitches all have whiff rates over 20%. His performance has been unexpected, but his continued results will be a welcome sight in Milwaukee.

Prediction

The Brewers should be able to add to the Cardinals’ misery in this four-game showdown. Pitchers like Lynn and Gibson have been able to pitch to a low ERA so far, but it seems like a potentially combustible mix for the Cardinals if the Brewers can put together competitive at-bats throughout the entirety of the lineup. Not only is it potentially a get-right series for many of the Brewers hitters, but the St. Louis offense has played poorly this season. The Brewers could see several hitters break out of a slump, just as the Cardinals unfortunately lost their best hitter in Contreras. Although a four-game sweep isn’t out of the question, the Brewers have a chance to confidently take three out of four.